Last year, at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, BMW Motorrad unveiled the G 310 R, the company’s first sub-500cc roadster model. It was developed in Munich by BMW Motorrad and is built in India by TVS Motor Company.
Read our 2018 BMW G 310 R first ride review
At this year’s EICMA show, BMW announced a second small-displacement model, the G 310 GS adventure bike. Like the R, it’s powered by a liquid-cooled, 313cc single with four valves, DOHC and electronic fuel injection. Claimed output at the crank is 34 horsepower at 9,500 rpm and 21 lb-ft of torque at 7,500 rpm, and the bike’s curb weight is said to be 374 pounds. Power is sent to the rear wheel through a 6-speed transmission, a wet clutch and chain final drive.
Styling is unmistakably GS, with a high, prominent beak, angular front fairing panels in contrasting colors and a tall tail section with an aluminum luggage rack. The G 310 GS also features adventure-ready 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels, a tubular-steel trellis frame, a long aluminum swingarm and switchable ABS. Suspension consists of a non-adjustable 41mm upside-down fork and a preload-adjustable shock with 7.1 inches of front/rear travel. Up front is a single, radially mounted 4-piston fixed caliper with a 300mm disc and out back is a single 2-piston floating caliper with a 240mm disc.
Although the G 310 GS is a lighter, more accessible, less expensive version of the larger GS models, it still has a rather tall 32.9-inch seat height. (The adjustable seat height on the R 1200 GS is 33.5/34.3 inches.) Fuel capacity is 2.9 gallons, and a large LCD instrument panel provides a wide range of information to the rider.
A wide range of accessories will be available, including low and high seats, a centerstand, luggage, heated grips, a 12V socket, BMW Motorrad Navigator V GPS and more.
The 2018 BMW G 310 GS will be available in Cosmic Black non-metallic, Racing Red non-metallic and Pearl White metallic. Pricing starts at $5,695 and the bike should be in dealerships sometime in the first quarter of 2018.
Are any of the new sub 400cc “adventure ” bikes suitable for the TAT? The 4.5 gallon fuel tank on the Kawasaki gives that bike an edge over the BMW, but all these bikes will have to be modified; the question is, which requires the least modification?
John. I hope you got yourself an offroad bike in the end 😁